Historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since petroleum was discovered in the 1930s; most of the economic activities - and with it the country's population - is concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east, through Riyadh in the interior, to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea

Location

Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen

The Capital of Saudi Arabia is Riyadh. Riyadh has a population of 6 million people, making it the largest city in Saudi Arabia. Its location within Saudi Arabia is in its central regions, particularly the region of Najd. Geographically, Riyadh is located on a plateau. Its name is derived from the plural of the Arabic word "rawdah". It means "meadows". In a region that is known for desert, places with a water source are considered precious. Saudi Arabia has no permanent rivers within its borders. Riyadh was founded around Wadi Hanifah. A wadi is an ephemeral riverbed. It has water during times of heavy rain. In its prehistoric times, heavy rain did fall in the Najd region. The region was much drier when the Banu Hanifa arrived in the region (and for whom the Wadi Hanifah is named for). However, the areas along the wadis provided places more sustainable for agriculture and settlement compared to the deserts uniquitous to Saudi Arabia. It would be here that Riyadh would grow from.

Saudi Arabia is an Asian country covering 2,149,690.00 km2. This makes it the 12th largest country in the world and slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US. Its geographic coordinates are 25 00 N, 45 00 E and Riyadh is the capital city.

Saudi Arabia is named for the House of Saud, the ruling dynasty of the country.

Its ISO code is SA.

Geography

Saudi Arabia has a mean elevation of 665 m above sea level.

It has a tropical climate with a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from December to April. Its terrain is mostly made up of sandy desert.

Population

Saudi Arabia has a population of 28,160,273 making it the 46th largest in the world. The majority of the population is concentrated around the middle of the peninsula.

Arabic is the official language. The majority ethnic group is Arab. The majority of the population is Muslim.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's name is a major indicator of which languages are spoken in this nation. Arabic is the official language spoken in Saudi Arabia. 95.6% of Saudi Arabia's population speaks Arabic. This gives Saudi Arabia the 3rd highest percentage of its population that speaks Arabic. Only Jordan and Tunisia have higher percentages of its population speaking Arabic.

Government

Saudi Arabia is an independent country. Its kingdom was unified in 1932. Its constitution was last ratified in 1992.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a monarchy. This is easily indicated by its official name, "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. However, within that absolute monarchy, the Basic Law of Saudi Arabia was adopted in 1992. This is a type of compact that has elements of a constitution. It is written that the constitution of Saudi Arabia is "the Holy Quran and the Sunnah". The King of Saudi Arabia is required to rule under the guidelines of the Quran and Sharia law. A written constitution with legal precedent does not exist in Saudi Arabia. The King is the head of state in Saudi Arabia.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Saudi Arabia's GDP is $1,730,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $54,100.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 14th largest economy and its citizens the 20th richest in the world. The currency of Saudi Arabia is the Rial (SAR).

Its major export partners are China, Japan, and the United States. Its main exports are petroleum and petroleum products. Its major import partners are China, the United States, and Germany. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, and chemicals.

Flag

?The flag of Saudi Arabia is a unique flag. It has one main color, green. On the Saudi Arabian flag is the shahada written in Arabic script. The shahada says "la 'ilaha illa-llah, muhhamadun rasulu-llah". This means "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah". This inscription was recently used on the flag of Afghanistan. This is the Islamic creed. These words used on the Saudi Arabian flag reflect the nation's religion, Islam. Saudi Arabia's culture has been influenced by the Wahhabi sect of Islam. It Is the state religion of Saudi Arabia and this is reflected in the nation's flag.